2024 Wildlife Habitat Grant Program Project Agreement
Agreement Narrative: GLR-MIDNR-24-2 (UP Wildland Enhancement Project)
Primary Funder: Michigan Wildlife Habitat Grant Program (WH24-128)
Location: Ottawa National Forest and Hiawatha National Forest
Innovation: This DNR Funded state grant expands our long-standing partnership and the Ottawa National Forest and Hiawatha National Forest. Working together to directly affect habitat within the forest, this project aims to improve multiple cover-types and access issues for a variety of different wildlife species; including ruffed grouse, American woodcock, sharp-tail grouse, and spruce grouse. By improving and maintaining young forest, shrub species, and open lands through prescribed burning, we are addressing multiple levels of wildlife use/habitat concerns while also working towards making these areas more easily accessible for outdoor recreationists.
Impact: This project directly impacts 503 acres of habitat with a variety of partners. This grant also acts an extension of our agreements with the Hiawatha and Ottawa National Forests. This project will directly complete:
- 70 acres of upland forest opening mowing/maintenance
- 25 acres of grassland restoration site prep
- 25 acres of alder sheering
- 60 acres of non-commercial aspen felling
- 323 acre prescribed burn to maintain complex of large, upland, dry-forest openings
Partners: MI DNR, Ottawa National Forest, Hiawatha National Forest, Straits Sportsmans Club, Islands Wildlife Association, Robert J Lytle Chapter of RGS, Eastern UP Chapter of RGS
